Toy Animal for Use with Child Transportation

ABSTRACT

A toy animal for use with child transportation such as a motor vehicle or stroller. The toy animal has a body ( 2 ). The body ( 2 ) has a rear ( 16 ) with a slot ( 4 ) near the rear of the body. The slot ( 4 ) extends from a top ( 4   a ) of the rear of the body to a bottom ( 4   a ) of the rear of the body. The slot ( 4 ) is of sufficient size to allow a bottom portion of a restraint, such as a seatbelt ( 6 ) or shoulder harness ( 11 ), to pass through the slot ( 4 ), and locate the toy ( 2 ) on a seat ( 7 ) of a transportation device. Latching the restraint secures the toy ( 2 ) and a child to the seat ( 7 ).

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a US National Stage Application of a pending PCT Application US 05/34484 filed with the RO/US on Monday 26 Sep. 2005, published as WO 2006/036913; taking priority from U.S. Provisional Application 60/613,149, filed 26 Sep. 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is a toy animal for use with child car seats and strollers.

2. Related Art

WO 9526791 A1 (Youn) 12 Oct. 1995 refers to a toy having a horizontal slot for receiving a conventional seat belt, said toy positioned to be hugged to the child's chest. Youn's slot extends from side to side, rather than from top to bottom. Youn would not function with most currently made seatbelt shoulder harness combinations, nor with child's car seat harness restraints. Youn does not disclose a conventional child's car seat. Youn cannot function as disclosed with a conventional child's car seat, which child's car seat is secured to a seat in a modern car by the car's seatbelt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the toy of the present invention and a car seat.

FIG. 2 is a similar oblique front view.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the toy and a car seat.

FIG. 4 is an oblique rear view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front oblique view of the present invention as used with a child's stroller.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the rear of the toy animal.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of said rear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

The present invention comprises a toy animal 2, as shown in FIG. 1. The toy is preferably stuffed. The stuffing is preferably of a soft, energy absorbing material 2A that would not contribute to injury in an accident, and might serve a padding function to absorb energy and impact of a loose child or flying object. It is preferably surfaced in a plush or fur like fabric 2B. The toy may be any fabric, but is preferably a soft fabric.

The animal is preferably a rideable animal, such as a horse, but may be any other sort of animal, as whimsy permits. The hind legs and tail of the animal have been omitted, or can be tucked under, or made vestigially small, such as tail 3. In the case of a four legged animal, such as a horse, the fore-legs 3A would best be included.

In the case of a two-legged animal, such as an ostrich, the two legs would best be included.

A slot 4 is provided at the back of the animal, slit through from top 4A to bottom 4B [FIG. 3] of the animal's body 2, so that a restraint or restraining device such as a seat belt 6 or a shoulder harness 11 (FIG. 2) can be threaded through the slot 4 (FIG. 1). The slot 4 is either enclosed in plan view, around a hole 12 (FIG. 6), or closeable, as by a velcro strap 14A or other closure across the opening 15 in the toy's rear 16. The closed slot 4 locates the toy animal 2 at the front of the seat 7 (FIGS. 1-4). The restraint 6 is then latched to secure child 9 and toy animal 2 in their respective positions. Horse 2 then gives the illusion of being ridden by the child sitting in the car seat 7 or stroller 8 (FIG. 5).

FIG. 2 shows the child 9 astride the toy 2 in a car seat 7 with a seat belt harness 11 fastened. The bottom portion 6 (FIG. 1) of the shoulder harness 11 (FIG. 2) is threaded through the slot 4 in the horse.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment in which the child is in a stroller 8. The restraint 17 comprises a Y-shaped cloth panel 18 comprising buckles 14. Buckles 14 and restraint panel 18 are threaded through slot 4 in the toy 2 and are pulled through the slot 4 leaving in the slot 4 a stem 20 of the “Y” shaped panel 18. When the buckles 14 are fastened to the stroller 8, the child 9 and the toy animal 2 are retained in place and provide the illusion of the child riding an animal.

Accordingly, while a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A toy animal for use with a child transportation device, said toy animal having: a body; said body having a rear; a slot near said rear of the body; said slot extending from a top of the rear of the body to a bottom of a rear of the body; said slot of sufficient size to pass therethrough a bottom portion of a restraint of a seat of the transportation device; said slot capable of enclosing the bottom portion of the restraint, to locate the body to the restraint, and to secure the body to the restraint, when the restraint is latched.
 2. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the restraint is a seat belt
 3. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the restraint is a shoulder harness
 4. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the transportation device is a motor vehicle.
 5. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the transportation device is a stroller.
 6. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the toy is stuffed with a soft energy absorbing material.
 7. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the toy is surfaced in a plush or fur like fabric.
 8. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the ride-able animal represents a four-legged animal and the hind legs of the animal have been omitted.
 9. A toy animal according to claim 9, in which the tail of the animal has been omitted.
 10. A toy animal according to claim 9, in which the tail of the animal has been made vestigially small.
 11. A toy animal according to claim 9, including pair of fore-legs.
 12. A toy animal according to claim 1, in which the rideable animal represents a two-legged animal, including the two legs.
 13. A toy animal according to claim 11, in which the animal is a horse.
 14. A toy animal for use with child transportation, said toy animal having: a body; said body having a rear; a slot near said rear of the body; said slot extending from a top of the rear of the body to a bottom of a rear of the body; said slot of sufficient size to pass therethrough a bottom portion of a restraint of a seat of a transportation device; said slot capable of enclosing said bottom portion of said restraint, to secure the body to the restraint, when the restraint is latched; the restraint is a shoulder harness; the transportation device is a motor vehicle; the toy is stuffed with a soft energy absorbing material, and is surfaced in a plush or fur like fabric; the toy represents a ride-able animal; the ride-able animal represents a four-legged animal, and the hind legs of the animal have been omitted, a pair of fore legs depend from the body; and the rear of the body includes a vestigially small tail;
 15. A method of giving a child in a transportable seat an illusion that said child is riding an animal, said method comprising the following steps: providing a toy animal; providing a slot at a rear of said toy animal from a top to a bottom of the animal's body; placing the toy animal atop said seat; threading a harness through said slot to locate the toy animal to the seat; placing the child in the seat; buckling the harness around the child to secure the child and toy animal to said seat, with a front of the animal extending from between the child's legs, to give the illusion of the child riding the animal. 